Device and method for determining the frequency of at least one dominant tone of a tinnitus

Abstract

A device for determining the frequency of a dominant tone of a tinnitus perceived by a patient. A tone generator plays tones, an input unit receives patient evaluations, and a controller carries out a similarity measurement and a comparison of pairs of tones. The controller controls the tone generator for the similarity measurement to generate successive tones, and, after playing a respective tone, receive patient's evaluation regarding the similarity of the tone to the dominant tone of the tinnitus. The controller also controls the tone generator for the comparison of pairs of tones to play successive pairs of tones, and, after playing a respective pair, receives the patient's evaluation as to which tone of the pair is more similar to the at least one dominant tone of the tinnitus. Using the results, the frequency most similar to the frequency of the dominant tone of the tinnitus can be determined.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus for determining the frequency of at least one dominant sound of a ringing in an ear of a patient, the apparatus comprising
 a sound generator configured to generate a plurality of sounds;   an input unit configured to receive input evaluations from the patient of the generated plurality of sounds; and   a control and analysis unit coupled to the sound generator and to the input unit, the control and analysis unit being configured to carry out a similarity measurement and a pairwise sound comparison,   wherein the control and analysis unit is further configured to control the sound generator for the similarity measurement in such a manner that the sounds generator generates the plurality of sounds one after another and receive the input evaluations from the patient into the input unit after the generating of a respective sound with respect to the similarity of the sound to the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear,   wherein the control and analysis unit is further configured to control the sound generator for the pairwise sound comparison such that the sound generator generates pairs of sounds one after the other and receives an input evaluation from the patient into the input unit after the generating of a respective pair of which a sound of the pair is more similar to the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear,   wherein the control and analysis unit is further configured to combine results of the similarity measurement and of the pairwise sound comparison and, based on the combined results, determine at least one sound having a frequency that is most similar to the frequency of the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear,   wherein the control and analysis unit is further configured to determine one sound as a result of the similarity measurement, with the frequency of the determined one sound being most similar to the frequency of the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear in accordance with the similarity measurement, and   wherein the control and analysis unit is further configured to control the sound generator to generate sounds for the pairwise sound comparison that lie within a predefined frequency range lying around the frequency of the determined one sound as a result of the similarity measurement having the frequency that is most similar to the frequency of the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear in accordance with the similarity measurement.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the control and analysis unit is further configured to investigate the similarity measurement and the pairwise sound comparison in a predefined sequence, wherein the result of the investigation carried out first is used as a starting value for a subsequent investigation. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein the generated plurality of sounds are selected from respectively predefined sounds and a frequency spacing of adjacent predefined sounds is larger for the investigation carried out first than the frequency spacing of adjacent predefined sounds for the subsequent investigation. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the control and analysis unit is further configured to determine at least one sound as a result of the pairwise sound comparison having a frequency that is most similar to the frequency of the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear in accordance with the pairwise sound comparison. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the control and analysis unit is further configured to select at least a portion of the plurality of sounds of the generated pairs of sounds on the pairwise sound comparison that are more similar to the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear in accordance with the evaluation of the patient and subsequent pairs of sounds are combined from the selected sounds. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein, for the similarity measurement, the similarity of the sounds are evaluated by the patient based on a psychophysical degree of similarity. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 21 , wherein the similarity of the sounds are evaluated by the patient with respect to at least one of a pitch of the sound, a volume of the sound and a characteristics of the sound. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein, for the pairwise sound comparison, the similarity of the sounds are evaluated by the patient based on a psychophysical degree of similarity. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein the similarity of the sounds are evaluated by the patient with respect to at least one of a pitch of the sound, a volume of the sound and a characteristics of the sound. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein a respective sound that is generated to be played to the patient for the similarity measurement depends on the evaluation carried out by the patient of a previous sound played. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein a respective pair of sounds that are generated to be played to the patient for the pairwise comparison depend on the evaluation carried out by the patient of a previously played pair of sounds. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the sound generator to generate at least one sound and the patient sets a volume level of the at least one sound via the input unit such that the set volume level of the at least one sound corresponds to a volume level of the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear perceived by the patient, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the sound generator such that the volume level of the sounds generated for at least one of the similarity measurement and the pairwise sound comparison are matched to the volume level set by the patient. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the control and analysis unit is further configured to perform a coarse estimate of the frequency of the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear perceived by the patient, for which purpose the control unit controls the sound generator such that the sound generate generates the plurality of sounds one after the other and the control and analysis unit receives evaluation inputs by the patient into the input unit after the playing of a respective sound, whether the frequency of the sound is larger or smaller than the frequency of the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 28 , wherein, based on the coarse estimate of the frequency of the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear perceived by the patient, the control and analysis unit is further configured to determine a frequency range and control the sound generator for at least one of the similarity measurement and the pairwise sound comparison such that the sound generate generates the plurality of sounds or pairs of the plurality of sounds from the determined frequency range. 
     
     
         30 . A method of determining a frequency of at least one dominant sound of a ringing in an ear perceived by a patient, the method comprising:
 performing a similarity measurement by receiving inputs from the patient when the patient is played a plurality of sounds one after the other and the patient evaluates a similarity of the sound to the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear after the playing of a respective sound;   performing a pairwise sound comparison by receiving inputs from the patient when the patient is played pairs of sounds one after the other and the patient evaluates which sound of the pair is more similar to the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear after the playing of the respective pair;   combining results of the similarity measurement and the pairwise sound comparison to determine at least one sound having a frequency that is most similar to the frequency of the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear;   based on the result of the similarity measurement, determining one sound having a frequency that is most similar to the frequency of the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear in accordance with the similarity measurement; and   playing sounds for the pairwise sound comparison that lie within a predefined frequency range lying around the frequency of the determined one sound as a result of the similarity measurement having the frequency that is most similar to the frequency of the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear in accordance with the similarity measurement.   
     
     
         31 . A computer program product for execution in a data processing system, the computer program product including instructions for:
 performing a similarity measurement by receiving inputs from the patient when the patient is played a plurality of sounds one after the other and the patient evaluates a similarity of the sound to the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear after the playing of a respective sound;   performing a pairwise sound comparison by receiving inputs from the patient when the patient is played pairs of sounds one after the other and the patient evaluates which sound of the pair is more similar to the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear after the playing of the respective pair;   combining results of the similarity measurement and the pairwise sound comparison to determine at least one sound having a frequency that is most similar to the frequency of the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear;   based on the result of the similarity measurement, determining one sound having a frequency that is most similar to the frequency of the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear in accordance with the similarity measurement; and   playing sounds for the pairwise sound comparison that lie within a predefined frequency range lying around the frequency of the determined one sound as a result of the similarity measurement having the frequency that is most similar to the frequency of the at least one dominant sound of the ringing in the ear in accordance with the similarity measurement.